Hat brim and method of constructing the same



F F O C T H w E HAT BRIM AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING THE SAME Filed April2, 1934' Patented May 12, 1936 UNITED STATES HAT BRIM AND DIETHOD OFCONSTRUCT- ING THE SAllIE Edward Wittcoff, University City, Mo.,assignor to Caradine Hat Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation ofMissouri Application April 2, 1934, Serial No. 718,553

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the manufacture of hats. Moreparticularly, my present invention has to do with a certain new anduseful improvement in the brims of hats constructed of fabricated strandbodies and to the method of constructing the same and has for its chiefobject the production, in a simple, economical, and convenient manner,upon the brim of a hat of the type stated, of an attractive, durable,stiff, waterproof and strong rim-finish capable of withstandingconsiderable wear and hard usage.

And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides inthe novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combinationof parts and the method and process presently described and pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 shows a fabricated paper-strand hatbody in its rough ororiginal state or condition;

Figure 1a shows the hat-body following preliminary shaping or blocking;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view through a forming-fixtureemployed in the structural development of the brim of the finished hat,the view also illustrating several successive steps of such development;

Figure 3 is a view of the hat-body illustrating the partially finishedbrim thereof as appearing subsequent to the several development stepsillustrated in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of atrimmingmachine, showing the manner of carrying out another step of theprocess of finishing the brim; and

Figure 5 illustrates in front elevation a completed or finished hatembodying a brim constructed and finished in accordance with andembodying my invention. Referring now more in detail and by referencecharacters to the drawing, A designates a socalled toyo hat-bodypreferably either of the bangkok or jami type, in its raw or originalcondition as when received from the manufacturer. Such hat-body A isconstructed or fabricated by weaving or plaiting of preferablypaper-strands coated or impregnated with a collodion solution and in itsoriginal condition embodies an excessively wide brim l, is soft andpliable, and is unsightly and unattractive in appearance, merelyapproximately, as shown, conforming to the desired shape and contour ofthe finished hat shown in Figure 5.

Now, for the production of the finished hat in accordance with mypresent invention, the hatbody A is first subjected to pressure in asuitable press (not shown) and is thereby given a preliminary shaping orblocking, the crown 2 of the soblocked hat-body B preferably beingformed with a longitudinal depression, as at 3, for re-enforcing andstrengthening the hat-structure and immore than, the final desired widthof the brim of the finished hat. The so reduced brim is designated 4 inFigure 3.

Next the hat-body B is placed in a forming-fixture C, which comprises atorus-like block or support 5 having a flat upper surface, as at 6, andbeing provided with a central suitably enlarged recess or pocket I.

The fixture C also includes a former or shield 8, which comprises apreferably fiat annular plate or disk having in plan a marginal contourof less dimensions than the roughly trimmed brim 4 for, in fact,defining the final desired brim shape and contour, the former-plate 8being provided with a central depending annular cup 9 dimensioned to fitwithin the crown 2 of the hat-body B," as best seen in Figure 2.

The hat-body B is operably disposed with respect to the fixture C withits crown 2 within the recess 1 and its brim 4 rested or supported onthe sm'face 6 of the block 5. The former-plate 8 is next flatwisemounted on the brim 4 with its cup 9 disposed in the crown 2 and thenmanipulated, manually or by any suitable means not shown, for causingthe brim i to be firmly pressed or clamped therebetween and the block 5with the outer marginal portion 4a of the brim 4 projecting outwardly ofand exposed beyond the annular margin of the former 8, as is clearlyshown in and as will be understood from the left-hand portion of Figure2.

The hat-body B being thus clamped in the fixture C, by means of asuitable distributing implement, as a liquid-absorbent sponge or thelike ID, a coating of a suitable solvent of the sizing material orsolution, which, if the latter be of the nitro-cellulose orcellulose-gum-lacquer type, may comprise alcohol or the like, is appliedor wiped upon the exposed brim marginal-portion do, for the purpose ofdissolving the'sizing solution from, or softening the same to a largeextent upon, the brim marginal-portion 4a, the resulting semi-finishedhat then having its brim marginal-portion 4a, in a softened, plastic,and readily pliable or flexible condition, the sizing solution upon theremainder'of the hat-body B, however, being unaffected and the hat-bodyB ginal-portion 4a is then carefully curled or folded,

as by a flap I I, inwardly'over the edge and overlapped upon the marginof the-plate 8, the flap I I extending entirely around the circumferenceof the plate 8 and hence also of the brim 4. Then a suitable pressureand heat-applying device, as an electric-iron I2 or the like, isemployed, as will be understood from the right-hand portion of Figure 2,for heating and pressing the turned or folded flap-portion I I flatwiseupon the former 8 for both evaporating the solvent andpressing andflattening the strand-fibers for imparting to the brim acircumferentialcrease or fold, as at I3, at the junction of the flap II with thebrimproper 4, which crease or fold I3 eventually constitutes theedge-finish of the brim I4 of the completed hat D, shown in Figure 5.

The crease or fold I3 having been thus formed and the former-plate 8being suitably removed, the hat-body B is removed from the fixture C andis sewed with a'line of stitching I5, in the customary manner, thestitching I5 being applied to the brim a short distance, as an eighth ofan inch, inwardly of the crease or fold I3 for flatwise securing theflap l I to the brim-proper 4 v ,I and thereby providing the brim 4 witha, two-ply or double thickness rim or edge I6, as best seen in Figures3, 4, and 5. 7

The hat-body B is then processed in a suitable trimming-machine E,which, in the present instance, by means of a properly adjustedreciprocatory knife I'I, cuts through and neatly and smoothly trims offthe rough inner-portion I8 of the flap II inside of seen in Figure 4.

As has been said, the brim marginal-portion 4a, for the formation of thefinish-edge I6, has

the stitching I5, as best been largely divested of its sizing solution,and

for the purpose of restoring the stiffness of the rim of the brim of thefinished hat, the same is re-coated, as by spraying, dipping, or othersuitable application, with suitable sizing. solution preferably'similarto that previously employed for sizing the hat-body A.

The hat-body B is then, as by spraying'or in other suitable manner,again coated with a suitable finishing solution preferably also of thecel lulose-gum-lacquer type, which further stifiens and Waterproofs thehat-body B, similarly, with respect to the method and materialsemployed,

. as' set forth in said Letters Patent No. 1,

"The so treated and processed hat-body B is V then'subjected to pressurein'a suitable mold or press, not shown, and is thereby given its desiredfinal shape and contour, the'stiffening crownrecess 3 in the final hat Dbeing preferably further accentuated and the brim I4 being artisticallyshaped and formed, all as best seen in .Figure 5.

After the finishing-coating has dried and the hat finally blocked asdescribed, the necessary findings or trimmings are applied to thehat-body D, and the same then becomes immediately available forconsumers use, as will also be understood from Figure 5. r

I might add that, in the resulting final or finished hat, as constructedaccording to my invention, the brim with its evenly trimmed twoplyandthereby strengthened edge, readily holds its. shape and presents asmooth, neat, and highly attractive appearance, most conducive to thethe nature of the apparatus employed in the production of the hat may bemade and substi tuted for those herein shown and described withoutdeparting from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is,

1. Those steps in finishing the brim of a hat constructed from afabricated paper-strand hat body, which consist in sizing the brim witha cellulose-gum lacquer, trimming the brim to a dimension greater thanthe desired final dimension thereof, applying a solvent of the sizing tothe marginal portion of the brim, folding the rim of such marginalportion inwardly upon the brimproper, heating and pressing the foldedmarginal portion overlappingly upon, and stitching the same to, thebrim-body, trimming said overlapping portion inside the stitching,re-sizing the double brim-margin with a cellulose-gum-lacquer, and thenapplying to the doubled brimconstructed from a fabricated strand body,which consist in flatwise disposing on the brim a formerplate of lesserdiameter than that of the brim, softening the exposed marginal portionof the brim, folding and pressing such marginal portion inwardly uponthe plate to overlie the brim proper and form a circumferential crease,removing the plate, then by a line of stitching disposed inwardly of thecrease, flatwise securing said overlying portion to the brim proper, andthen trimming said overlying portion on a line disposd inwardly of saidstitches,

3. Those steps in finishing the brim of a hat constructed from afabricated strandbody, which consist in fiatwise disposing on the brim aformerplate of lesser diameter than that of the brim softening theexposed marginal portion of the brim, folding and pressing such marginalportion inwardly upon the. plate to overlie the brim proper and form acircumferential crease, removing the plate, then by a line of stitchingdisposed ming said overlying portion on a line disposed' inwardly ofsaid stitches, and then applying a finish coating of waterproof materialto and upon the doubled brim margin. 7 e

4. Those steps in finishing the brim of a hat constructed from afabricated strand body, which consist in sizing the brim withcellulose-gum-lacquer, fiatwise disposing on the treated brim aformer-plate of lesser diameter than that of the brim, softening by theapplication of a solvent the exposed marginal portion of the sized brim,folding and pressing such marginal portion inwardly upon the plate tooverlie the brim proper and form a circumferential crease, removing theplate, then by a line of stitching disposed inwardly of the crease,fiatwise securing said overlying portion to the brim propen thentrimming said overlying portion on a line disposed inwardly of saidstitches, and then applying a finish coating of cellulose-gum-lacquer toand upon the doubled

